Counsel, Comfort, and Congress
by LustyBustyPirateWench
Summary: Set between the show and Serenity, River's sanity is a mite more assured and Mal decides that she needs to contribute. The world is AU and the plot is OOC for some; it's just a way things might have gone in the infinite meta-universe. Rating is M for adult content and language.


It was a month after Simon and River joined the crew of Serenity that Captain Reynolds cornered the young doctor in the medbay. Setting aside the bandages he was rolling, Simon turned to Mal when he felt himself watched.

"Can I help you with something, Captain?"

The man paused before answering, taking in the cleanliness and orderliness of the infirmary before answering. "You're doin' a real fine job, doc. Takin' good care of the crew, keeping the place tidy. Feel a mite safer with you aboard."

"Thank you," Simon answered warily.

"Not a man jack of us would say that you're not pulling your weight," Mal continued.

There was an uneasy silence while each waited for the other to speak. Finally, Mal stepped further into the infirmary and slid the door closed behind him. "You're earning your keep, doctor. But your sister ain't. I know she's troubled and that she's young but the honest truth of the matter is that this is a working ship. We got enough people to keep her runnin' smooth but everyone has to pitch in. Even Jayne, fer as much guff as we give him, he does his bit."

Since the moment the captain began to slide the door shut, Simon's unease and fear had grown. The idea that Mal might force them out into the 'verse alone filled him with terror but the idea that this man wanted to conscribe his mentally ill sister into servitude boiled up hotter than any fear could. "You want an emotionally damaged girl to work harder for the betterment of the ship? And what would you have her do? Maybe she should help Kaylee in the engine room? Or help Jayne sharpen knives?"

Mal shrugged. "I thought she might make for a cook but after the stew the Shepherd let her help with, I think we can safely rule that out."

"She wasn't brought up to cook. Our mother found it too pedestrian," Simon offered.

There was a pregnant silence as Mal waited for Simon to think on the possibilities a while. Seeing that the boy had nothing to offer, he said lightly, "Seems to me she does better when she's with one person, rather than a group. She plays games with Kaylee, does calligraphy with 'nara. Sat with Wash some the other day, played with his dinosaurs."

Simon nodded. "Yes. She's told me that she enjoys the time she spends with the crewmembers. And she seems to function better in the group when she's spent extended time with one of us beforehand."

"I agree. Leads me to my own suggestion of how she might be useful. I think River might find some peace in being a sort of unofficial Companion for the crew. Think we all might."

The blood poured into Simon's face. "You WHAT?" he spat. "You want to turn my sister into a whore?"

"A counselor."

"Oh!" Simon yelped. "That's a much better word. But the long and the short of this is that you want my sister to sleep with the other crewmembers."

"My thinking was that would truly be a counselor. Sometimes you want to just unload your mind. Don't need a solution, just someone to talk to. Sometimes you need someone to distract you, like she does with Kaylee and their games. And there are other means of distraction that members of this crew would benefit from. I trust the people on this ship with my life and there is not a one of them that would hurt her. 'Sides, you said yourself the other day that she was benefiting from hangin' on Inara with the skin-to-skin contact."

"I gave up my life to get her out of the Academy and you want me to sell her back into slavery."

Mal sucked in a breath and tried to calm himself. He knew it was a bold suggestion and that Simon wasn't going to take it well. It had made sense in his head and even Zoe had thought it alright to bring up to the boy.

"You saved your sister's life. Let her start a new one. It might not be what she dreamt of as a bitty girl, but it's a sight better than what you're making it out to be. She told me herself the other day that yer parents considered sending her to be a Companion."

"What?!" Simon yelped again.

"That's what she said. Or rather, she kept pettin' Inara's dress and said, 'Could have been a swan in the River. They almost sent her to be a beauty. Instead she was painted blue'."

"They talked about that when she was born but both of our parents decided that it was a waste of marriage potential. But she can't possibly remember that! They'd decided that for her before she could walk. She must have meant something else."

"No," a tiny voice rang out.

Both men turned to find River in the open doorway. "Could have been, would have been. Another life. But not a swan now. Only a dead albatross."

She looked sorrowfully at her brother and clung to the door. "I want to fix people, Simon. No more broken hearts or heads."

"Then I could train you to be a nurse for me," Simon said. "Then you can fix people."

She gave him a disbelieving and annoyed look. "Could do that now. I know where things go, when they're put away properly."

"You know what's he's suggesting, River?" Simon asked gently. "He wants you to sacrifice yourself."

"He gives me a purpose."

"Yes, to offer your body to any man who wants it!" Simon howled. "What kind of a life is that, River?"

"That's not what I said," Mal interrupted. "She wouldn't be seein' to anyone but crew, unless she had a mind to. And you're focusing only on the sexual aspects of this prospect. She'd be getting paid a cut of the jobs just like everyone else to be a friend. When no one had need of her, she'd be free to do as she pleased. Meanwhile, she can be learning skills about time management and scheduling. We can pick up some more books or games or whatever to her up a little bit."

"Clothes!" interjected River. "Sleek and trim."

"Tired of hand-me-downs, huh?" Mal asked, smiling.

"Why are you agreeing to this, mei mei?"

River smiled consolingly at him. "Growth is painful, but it must happen."

"If I forbid this, you're just going to do it anyway, aren't you?" Simon asked wearily. When River nodded, he turned to Mal. "I want a contract drawn up for her so that we and the rest of the crew know what's expected of her."

River produced her drawing pad and a pen and set out the provisos that each of them gave:

- Barring any issues (e.g. personal health, immediate danger, etc.), River was to provide succor to any crew member in need of emotional or physical comfort or entertainment. She was to perform her duties to the best of her abilities and as thoroughly as her brother performed his, or any crewmember did theirs.  
- She was to be given some instruction by Inara to anticipate various topics of sexuality she might need clarification on. Any member seeking to obtain sexual contact with River must observe proper hygiene and to protect and honor her as she did them. They also decreed that she would work up gradually to full sexual intercourse.  
- She would be paid 5% of the money obtained through their jobs.  
- She was moved to a dorm room down a long corridor away from the currently occupied ones to give some privacy and was given a small stipend that she could use to decorate it any way she saw fit.

The three of them signed it and that night at supper, Mal made an announcement and discussed the particulars with everyone involved. Kaylee and Inara looked timidly happy for her. Zoe and Wash looked intrigued but did not comment. Jayne practically drooling but remained polite when asking when her duties would be starting. Mal clarified again that this was to be a work in progress for her 'training' and that they would determine more about timelines at a later date.

They stopped two days later at Persephone and River made up a list for Kaylee to bring back to her. The mechanic dutifully toted back a large crate filled with a wide variety of items: fluffy pillows and smooth bed sheets and a thick, warm comforter in a deep red; various dresses and articles of clothing which fit her perfectly, several books, some of which Kaylee couldn't even understand the titles; and a hodgepodge of other diversions. On River's request, Jayne moved one of the loveseats from a common area to her room. Kaylee rigged the lights so that she had a means of controlling the light volume and Wash moved some speaker to her room as a sound system. On the whole, River was quite pleased.

Having no engagements that evening, Inara invited River to her shuttle to discuss some of the basic sexual desires and positions that might be requested of the girl. To her surprise, River had no timidity and seemed almost enthusiastic to learn more about all things sexual. Trying to keep control of the situation for fear River's confidence play her false and she be overwhelmed at an inopportune moment, Inara drafted a schedule for River's first experiences.

The next night, she was allowed to have what Kaylee referred to as 'a make-out session' with any crewmember who volunteered. Kaylee beat the men to the punch and before Simon or any of the others could object, River lead her back to her room. The rest of the crew drifted away, although they all found things to do in the vicinity, with the exception of the Shepherd who went to sleep.

After nearly an hour, Kaylee emerged, hugged River goodnight, and started to head back to her bunk. She was called back to the rest of the crew, who asked how the evening went. "She does real fine work!" is all that the mechanic would say, but they noticed a swing in her walk as she left them.

The rest of the crew headed off to their own business then, Simon heading to check on River. Jayne caught Mal before he left. "Can I call dibs on the first blow job?" he asked pleadingly.

Mal shook his head. "No, Jayne. Seeing how she's more relaxed around me, I'm going to take that one. I'm a mite calmer than you are. Don't want her getting skittish."

Jayne sneered. "Well ain't you a martyr. Then I definitely call dibs on her first sexing! It's only fair, Mal! Her brother and the Shepherd ain't gonna want it and Wash is married!"

"Don't mean he don't want a say," Mal argued.

"You know Zoe'd kill him," Jayne laughed. "Anyway, I'm calling this."

"See, I thought we might let River make that decision," Mal chided. "After all, first times are special for womenfolk and this way, it'd be her choice about when and who she wants to do that with."

Jayne looked crestfallen but nodded. "Alright. Guess that's fair."

He headed off to his bunk for some good alone time with his hand when he saw Simon leaving his sister's room, looking unsettled. Glancing back to see if Mal was watching, Jayne knocked gently on the door. After a slight delay, River appeared, dressed in a dark green dress and framed by the soft yellow light. "Hello Jayne," she greeted him, grinning.

"Hey. So listen, uh, congratulations an' all, on getting this thing set up," Jayne gestured to the room. "Mal says you were real keen on it."

"Yes."

When she didn't offer anything else, Jayne shifted his weight and studied her. Her hair was brushed out smooth, flowing down her back like her namesake. Wearing a dress that fit, Jayne could see her breasts and hips swelling against the fabric. He cleared his throat. "You look real fine, too. Look saner, almost."

"Thank you."

He waited again and finally, frustrated with trying to be polite, he said in a rush. "Look girl, I ain't tryin' to be crude or nothing but Mal says he's gonna be yer first suck and I guess that makes sense. Then he said he was gonna let you choose who you wanted to sex first and that makes sense too. Didn't want you to think I meant nothing mean if he tells you I tried to call dibs on that."

"Entirely understood," she told him, smiling.

He swallowed hard and tried to adjust himself subtly. "Good. I just thought I might throw my hat in the ring. I mean, I just wanted you to know that I'd treat you real good an' all."

"I do not know when Inara will deem me ready for sexual congress, but I will keep your proposal in mind."

"Congress?" Jayne asked, confused.

"It means 'coming together'," she offered.

He snickered. "Yeah, cumming together is pretty sweet."

She giggled, spurring him on to laugh heartily. "Never thought you'd like a dirty joke," he admitted.

"I like many things," she said, smiling seductively.

He nodded shakily and excused himself, heading back to his bunk to take care of himself. He'd always thought Inara was pretty much the perfect woman but River ... well, her star was rising.


End file.
